Search results for "Dust storm"
showing 8 items of 8 documents
Individual-particle analysis of airborne dust samples collected over Morocco in 2006 during SAMUM 1
2011
During the course of SAMUM 1 in May and June 2006, airborne samples were collected in southern Morocco at altitudes between 830 and 3340 m above ground. We analysed approximately 22 500 particles of 1–30 μm by automated individual-particle analysis with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and an energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) analyser. The major difference between samples is due to the presence and amount of chlorine- and sulphur-bearing particles, pointing to a varying maritime influence and to different degrees of aging. In contrast, the desert dust component is very homogeneous independent of altitude, activated local source area, and dust storm intensity, implying very fast mixing of th…
A continuous high-resolution dust record for the reconstruction of wind systems in central Europe (Eifel, Western Germany) over the past 133 ka
2009
[1] The last glacial cycle in Central Europe is dominated by processes of aeolian dust transport and accumulation. These dust deposits are preserved in soils and lake sediments and provide detailed information about the climate variability during cold and dry periods. Especially the transitions from warm into cold periods are characterized by turbulent climate conditions. The main problems of terrestrial paleoclimate reconstructions are the completeness of the core material and a sampling resolution. To detect single dust storms we use a particle detection method, which allows high resolution, sub-annual analyses of sediment structures in undisturbed samples. The ELSA (Eifel Laminated Sedim…
Indication of drier periods on Mars from the chemistry and mineralogy of atmospheric dust
2005
The cover shows part of the Larry's Lookout panorama, seen from the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) Spirit during its drive up Husband Hill: the summit is about 200 metres from the rover. Six papers this week report in detail on the MER mission. An Analysis compares predictions used to select a landing site with the conditions actually encountered. This ‘ground truth’ will be invaluable for interpreting future remote-sensing data. Surface chemistry suggests that the upper layer of soil may contain 1% meteoritic material. MER provides a unique glimpse of solar transits of the moons Phobos and Deimos. Rover Opportunity examined wind-related processes, and spectroscopy indicates a dry origin for …
Advances in understanding mineral dust and boundary layer processes over the Sahara from Fennec aircraft observations
2015
Abstract. The Fennec climate programme aims to improve understanding of the Saharan climate system through a synergy of observations and modelling. We present a description of the Fennec airborne observations during 2011 and 2012 over the remote Sahara (Mauritania and Mali) and the advances in the understanding of mineral dust and boundary layer processes they have provided. Aircraft instrumentation aboard the UK FAAM BAe146 and French SAFIRE (Service des Avions Français Instrumentés pour la Recherche en Environnement) Falcon 20 is described, with specific focus on instrumentation specially developed for and relevant to Saharan meteorology and dust. Flight locations, aims and associated met…
Possible impacts of volcanic ash emissions of Mount Etna on the primary productivity in the oligotrophic Mediterranean Sea: Results from nutrient-rel…
2013
Atmospheric deposition of volcanic ash has recently been recognized as an important nutrient source into the surface ocean. Mount Etna (Italy), one of the world's most active volcanoes, is located in the oligotrophic Mediterranean Sea (MedSea). Despite the active volcanism on Mount Etna, the biogeochemical impacts of volcanic ash fallouts on the marine primary productivity (MPP) remain largely unknown. Here we present the results of seawater nutrient release experiments with volcanic ash samples from Mount Etna that have been collected during different eruptive episodes between 2001 and 2007. Our results show that volcanic ash from Mount Etna releases significant amounts of fixed-N (35-855 …
Climatology of convective density currents in the southern foothills of the Atlas Mountains
2010
Density currents fed by evaporationally cooled air are an important dust storm generating feature and can constitute a source of moisture in arid regions. Recently, the existence of such systems has been demonstrated for the area between the High Atlas Mountains and the Sahara desert in southern Morocco on the basis of case studies. Here, a climatological analysis is presented that uses data from the dense climate station network of the IMPETUS project (An Integrated Approach to the Efficient Management of Scarce Water Resources in West Africa) for the 5 year period 20022006. Objective criteria mainly based upon abrupt changes in wind and dew point temperature are defined to identify possib…
Heating rate profiles and radiative forcing due to a dust storm in the Western Mediterranean using satellite observations
2017
Abstract We analyze the vertically-resolved radiative impact due to a dust storm in the Western Mediterranean. The dust plume travels around 3–5 km altitude and the aerosol optical depth derived by MODIS at 550 nm ranges from 0.33 to 0.52 at the overpass time (13:05 UT). The aerosol radiative forcing (ARF), forcing efficiency (FE) and heating rate profile (AHR) are determined throughout the dust trajectory in shortwave (SW) and longwave (LW) ranges. To do this, we integrate different satellite observations (CALIPSO and MODIS) and detailed radiative transfer modeling. The combined (SW + LW) effect of the dust event induces a net cooling in the studied region. On average, the FE at 22.4° sola…
Atmospheric Mineral Dust - Properties and Source Markers
1989
Mineral dust particles from arid regions of the earth are a substantial fraction of the atmospheric aerosol. Due to long range transport mineral dust is found in all types of airmasses and thus in remote regions too. Physical and chemical properties allow to distinguish mineral aerosols easily from other types of aerosols. Many characteristic features are similar to those of global average crust. Only major deviations from this mean composition are reflected by the mineral aerosol composition. In order to derive source characteristic features from mineral dust samples advanced statistical methods coupled with various analytical tools from the mineralogy and chemistrymust be applied.